Conservative Think Tank Pushes Insurance Reform in Florida

The James Madison Institute, one of the leading defenders of free-market solutions in Tallahassee, released a backgrounder on Wednesday concerning insurance in the Sunshine State. Workable Solutions for Floridas Challenging Insurance Problemswas penned by two adjunct scholars from JMI who are both affiliated with the Heartland Institute -- Eli Lehrer and R.J. Lehmann.

The backgrounder calls for the Legislature to crack down on fraud, keeping no-fault vehicle insurance in place and reforming property insurance.

Florida cannot afford a repeat of the 2011 legislative session, Lehrer said in a statement on Wednesday. Nothing has improved in the past year; indeed, many aspects of the insurance environment have gotten worse.

During the 2012 session, legislators have an opportunity to make reasonable reforms in Floridas vehicle and property insurance systems that will make an immediate difference in the lives of the people they represent and in the economic health and financial stability of the state they serve, said Robert McClure, the president and CEO of JMI.